Appeal Court Grants Stay Of Execution Of Federal High Court Judgment

Rivers APC Candidates To Contest Election 

Rivers APC: We Have Been Vindicated 

Daniel Efe/Port  Harcourt 

Court of Appeal in Port Harcourt today granted a stay of execution of the judgment of the Federal High Court that nullified the All Progressives Congress, APC, primaries in Rivers State and restraining the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, from fielding all APC candidates in the coming general elections.

Delivering Judgment the Presiding Judge, Justice Mustapha Muhammed said the stay of execution is necessitated by the multiplicity of the Appeals against the judgment of the Federal High Court.

He held the matter was repealed almost all parties in the case. The Judge said it will be unjust not to grant the stay of execution for the parties to achieve their goal to be on the ballot for the election. 

By the judgement of the Federal High Court, Justice Kolawole Omotosho had nullified all the party primaries, both direct or indirect that produced the candidate of the two factions of the party.

Tonye Dele Cole, APC Rivers State Governorship candidate carried shoulder high inside court.

In a swift reaction, Rivers APC said “The Appeal Court sitting in Port Harcourt today (Monday, 4th of February, 2019) has granted Stay of Execution on the Judgement of Justice Kolawole Omotosho of the Federal High Court which nullified all Primaries of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and also restrained the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from fielding the Party’s Candidates in the forthcoming 2019 elections.

“We have always said that the wheel of justice may grind slowly, sometimes annoyingly slowly, but surely justice comes ultimately. We believe that today’s judgment has vindicated APC in Rivers State.

It further expressed optimism that anyone who has carefully and painstakingly followed the pending matter at the Supreme Court, especially, during the last sitting before the apex court reserved ruling, will easily and safely conclude that our victory at the Supreme Court is only a matter of time. 

APC opined that the “key issues of representation  and Jurisdiction  which Justice Chiwendu Nworgu deliberately overlooked in tailoring his judgment to fit into a predetermined purpose, and yet bandy it as a CONSENT judgment, will be completely deconstructed by the excellent legal minds on the Supreme Court bench. In this particular case, the end will justify our dogged efforts as we shall, once again, prevail by God’s grace!”

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The party enjoined all Rivers APC faithful should remain resolute as we are set to recover all that Satan has battled so hard to take away from us.

INEC, by today’s Appeal Court ruling, should by now be reinstating our candidates’ names on the ballot in line with the status quo before the pronouncement by the Federal High Court of Justice Omotosho.

Our Correspondent who was in court reports that immediately the Court pronounced the stay of execution supporters of Tonye Cole, the Governorship candidate was carried shoulder high.